CHICAGO — When it comes to baseball and LGBTQ+ inclusivity, Billy Bean often flashes back to his playing days.
Ending his career without telling his parents about his life as a closeted gay ballplayer. Shielding his secret from teammates like Brad Ausmus and Torey Lovullo. The regret of not sharing his "full self," he says.
It's a message Bean has delivered in clubhouses, and it resonates with today's ballplayers — hyper-focused on staying in the majors, and being a good teammate. It's also the lens through which Bean views baseball's ongoing LGBTQ+ issues.
"There's some parts of my job where I feel like some days I just, you know, I'm floating," said Bean, a senior vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion with Major League Baseball.